A recent survey, conducted by Jupiter Research and commissioned by iProspect, suggests that two-thirds of online searchers are driven by offline channels such as TV or word-of-mouth. The study also concluded that more than a third of these offline-influenced searchers end up buying something.

According to the iProspect release:

. . . the study also took a look at purchase behavior. Specifically, offline-influenced online searchers were asked whether they ultimately had made a purchase from the company whose website had been the object of their search. The data revealed that more than one-third do so. This translates into a 39% conversion rate, and suggests a synergistic relationship exists between search and offline channels.

[...] “Think about it,” said [iProspect President Robert] Murray, “Two-thirds of search users jump through hoops to perform those searches now. Imagine what that number would be if marketers actually made it easy for them.”

Although we prefer to “believe what they do, not what they say,” this survey seems yet another sign that marketers need to approach online strategy for what it is; the tie that binds all multichannel efforts.